Final Choice
by Evil-Wild-Lex
Summary: A retelling of Lina's struggle with Hellmaster Phibrizzo from her POV. Will she risk losing control of the ultimate destructive spell to defeat him? Spoilers if you haven't seen the end of Slayers Next. Please R&R!


Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers or any of the characters within the series (though this should be rather obvious). Just a fanfic from Lina's POV at the end of Slayers NEXT..

Final Choice  
by   
Evil Wild Lex

The situation was desperate. Even my amplified dragon slave spell, combined with Sylphiel's normal one as a surprise attack had been useless, only serving to make Phibrizzo angry that he was taken by surprise, when he had so carefully planned everything out. The vicious smile on his cherubic little boyish face, the violent glint in his piercing green eyes, and the vindictive promise to punish us chilled to the bone. My body threatened to shiver, give in, let the Hellmaster see that I was afraid, but my pride kept the shivers of fear at bay. The cavern we confronted him in emanated an evil light, provided by the giant crystal he imprisoned all of the dead souls of Sairaag in. It set the stage for a climatic battle, one where I was sure to have to use that spell, or die. But I couldn't! Not knowing what I did about it, and what could happen to the world. I had seen what could happen if I'd lost control the first time. . .

The Hellmaster must have sensed my resolution to not cast the Giga slave no matter what happened, because he prepared five fragile little balls, one for the life force of each of my companions. Amelia, the youngest, and most innocent of us all, was the first to go. She was preparing a spell to attack Phibrizzo, when with a mere pinch of his fingers; he crushed the first floating ball, sending her writhing in agony on the floor. Her body went limp after she assured us she was all right, her eyes wide in shock. Even a resurrection spell couldn't save her anymore. Sylphiel went promptly after, attempting to cast one more dragon slave. With a terrified look on her face while she was dying, she uttered one word: "father". Zelegadis burst into a run, powered by his fury, but that too proved to be horribly easy for the monster to deal with. Another little pinch of his fingers, and Zel was stopped in his tracks, falling flat on his rock hard face before he breathed his last breath.

With Martina, I ran to him, as I had done with all the other two bodies, but there was nothing to be done for him. The seriousness of it all hit with the force of a dragon slave. I crouched by Zelegadis, staring at his corpse lying on the crystalline floor. Martina screeched at me.

"Come on! He's really killing everyone! You must know a spell that can kill that thing!" I barely heard her. I was too busy contemplating if I would be forced to use the Giga slave, and the potential consequences of my actions. The weight of the world was on my shoulders, and it was almost too much of a burden to bear.

Zangulus almost fooled us by pretending to plead to Phibrizzo to let him go, but quickly revealed his true plan to attempt to kill the Hellmaster with his howling sword technique. He leapt in the air, ready to strike a lethal blow. Unfortunately for him, it was no effort for the monstrous child to simply crush the ball that held his life force, and Zangulus' attack fell just short of its mark, his sword grazing Phibrizzo's shoulder as his body went limp. His body was flung in our general direction, while I sat and considered the terrible possibilities. Martina was the last to go, swinging Zangulus' sword around desperately while she screamed for me to get up. I could see the malevolent look on Phibrizzo's face as he finally crushed the ball containing her life force as well. 

"This isn't like you," Martina told me weakly in my arms. "Now stop this." She smiled softly, keeping back the pain. "Be honest with your own feelings."

"Martina! Don't speak!" I told her in a panic. Even though I'd fought with her for a long time now, and I thought she was an annoying pest, I couldn't stand to see her struggling with death.

"You want to save him, don't you? Gourry. . .you love him, right?" A blush came to my cheeks, as she stated what I hadn't wanted to touch for all the power and money in the world. She was fading fast. "Even if the whole world is destroyed, it doesn't really matter, does it?" Looking almost peaceful, her blue eyes shut, and I felt her body go limp. Gently, I laid her down, my emotions stirring deep inside me. It was difficult to keep them suppressed and face Phibrizzo. I couldn't forgive him. Not after he'd taken everyone I considered a comrade and disposed of them as if they were irksome insects.

I stood up and faced the Hellmaster, my fists clenched at my sides. He sighed in exasperation, clearly impatient with me for not co-operating with him to begin with.

"So, do you feel like casting the Giga slave NOW?" he demanded. I glared defiantly in response. "If you don't, you know what I'll do next, don't you?" Light surrounded each of the corpses scattered on the crystalline floor, and they became encased in Phibrizzo's crystal, like Gourry was. Neatly, the monster lined them all up in a row behind him. 

"There's a chance that the Giga slave won't go out of control, you know. This is the crystallized essence of the life that's left in their bodies. If the crystal shatters, they really will die, but if you defeat me, I promise you that all of your friends will live." The bright and cheerful expression on his young face was so inappropriate for the occasion, it sickened me. I frowned, not knowing whether to trust what he said or not. He certainly couldn't be trusted, but what he said did make sense. 

"When these crystals shatter, it's lovely to watch," he told me enthusiastically, adding a question with a smug smirk, "would you like to see it?"

"Who would want to see that?" I said, my tone dangerously quiet. I was utterly repulsed by his disregard for human life, even if he *was* a monster. Gritting my teeth, I kept my hands at my sides. No matter how much I wanted to wipe the smug look on his face off and destroy him, the only spell I could manage it with was too risky. Hundreds of thousands of lives would be lost if I failed to control it. 

"Then cast the Giga slave." It was tempting, but I still hesitated. A second exasperated sigh came from the Hellmaster, this one more emphatic. "It seems you won't understand until I really do kill someone." His eyes flashed with pure, green evil, his smirk widened into an insanely broad grin. "How about this chimera man?" If it was at all possible, his cruel grin widened even more as he turned his attention on Gourry's encased form. "Or how about him?" He saw my expression change. Subtle, but definite. He had found my weakness, and rubbed it in my face. A small light glowed around his fingertip, and the crystal that held Gourry slowly but surely began to break. "If you don't use the Giga slave right now, this man will die!"

Something inside snapped. 

I don't care WHO I get it from, just give me the strength to kill Phibrizzo! I thought to myself urgently. No battle, no matter high the stakes, had ever affected me so, and a barrage of memories assaulted me.

//Flashback//

"Hey, Gourry. . .we've been traveling together for a long time now. How long were you planning on protecting me?" I asked at the campfire. For the first time, I'd thought of how long we'd been traveling together. Almost a year and a half, now. The possibility that we might go our own separate ways troubled me more than I cared to touch on, now that I'd grown so attached to Gourry. To all of my friends really, but especially Gourry. We'd been together the longest. 

"Oh, I don't know," Gourry answered pleasantly. "The rest of my life, I guess." I felt a warm feeling inside, and relief course over my entire body, knowing that I wasn't going to lose him.

//End Flashback//

That memory reminded me of so many others. When we'd first met, he thought I was a little kid because I'm so short. Yet, he'd unselfishly watched out for me and fed me until he finally realized I was a teenage sorceress, not a little girl. But still, his kind nature continued to show as we traveled together.

"What kind of guy can sleep on a bed when there's a girl who has to sleep on the floor?" he'd asked, when I insisted on not being a bother by taking his bed in the inn we stayed at. 

We'd been through so many memories; Gourry, Zel, Amelia, and me. Gourry was often slow on the uptake, but his other qualities more than redeemed him. To think that I would lose him. . . . . .I couldn't stand it anymore.

A power came over me, ignited the amplifying gems placed on my body. Without even thinking, I began the incantation for the Giga slave. The world was at risk if I cast it, but right then, I chose Gourry over the entire world. I didn't care what happened to myself, as long as I could destroy Phibrizzo.

Gourry, give me the strength to do this! I pleaded desperately in my mind while casting the spell, hoping beyond hope I could save him.

"Darkness beyond blackest pitch, deeper than the darkest night!  
King of Darkness, who shines like gold upon the Sea of Chaos!  
I call upon thee! Swear myself to thee!  
Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed  
By the power that you and I possess!"

The dark force built up like a tidal wave, coursing around and through my body, its destruction beginning to wreak havoc on the phantom Sairaag. 

"BE PIERCED BY THE SOULS OF THE DEAD!!!!!" Phibrizzo screamed, unleashing a deadly assault of red light as I had completed the spell. The thin beams of light rained down on and stabbed themselves into me, a hundred swords impaling. I let out a pained gasp. I had suffered too much physical damage of late to keep it under control, but struggled in vain trying to hold it back. I could hear the Giga slave raging war on its surroundings, the built up energy demanding to be released before I could direct it.

Everything went black.

Author's note: I will be writing a short chapter two to conclude all this. ^^ I hope you liked it. Please review!


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